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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Jun 1991

Vol. 409 No. 4

Written Answers. - Drift Netting of Salmon.

Roger T. Garland

Question:

61 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for the Marine whether his attention has been drawn to the serious problem concerning the drift netting of salmon which was 5 per cent of the national salmon catch only five years ago and is now 90 per cent and where the value of each salmon thus netted is only approximately £5 whereas each salmon caught by a tourist angler is worth anything up to £1,000 to the economy; his views on whether the practice of catching salmon by means of a drift net when they are river bound is adversely affecting the tourist trade; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The Deputy appears to have received inaccurate information in this matter. Far from constituting a mere 5 per cent of the total salmon catch, the drift net fishery accounted for 85 per cent of the catch in 1985. This percentage has risen significantly over the previous decade. The position far from deteriorating since then has gradually improved, due to the efforts of the fisheries boards' staff, assisted where possible by the garda and navy, and the Deputy will be pleased to hear that preliminary data for 1990 indicate that the drift net share of the fishery declined significantly in that year.

The question of the advantage in value to the economy from releasing a marginal salmon to the recreational fishery rather than taking it commercially has been assessed in a number of studies. The ERSI in December 1988, in a report for the Central Fisheries Board, estimated that in 1986 the gain to the economy from recreational use was 100 per cent of its commercial value. The type of gain mentioned by the Deputy would only arise if it were assumed that the additional salmon released to the recreational fishery were caught by visiting anglers from outside the country and such expenditure would not be made in Ireland in the absence of these fish in these numbers. Increased fishing by native anglers would entail a redistribution of income within the economy and not necessarily any net gain to the economy.

Policy for the distribution of the salmon catch between traditional inshore fishermen, native anglers and visiting anglers requires the making of a balanced judgment between the interests of those different groups and the economy as a whole.
The importance and significance of traditional drift net fishing varies from area to area, as do traditional salmon exploitation patterns. Given the nature of the salmon stock, from a stock management perspective, draft netting and angling are considered superior harvesting techniques.
The pattern of catch also affects income distribution. Taking this criterion I would be cautious of any general conclusion which involved significant reduction in the livelihood of such fishermen, outside the context of general conservation measures.
The further improvement of the salmon fishery requires the continuation of a multi-faceted approach including protection at sea, in estuaries and on land, and continued efforts to improve and protect the habitat particularly against pollution.
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